Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate 'Butter'cream, Berry Filling and Ganache Icing...

 Today is my birthday! And since I can't really buy a cake that I can eat without ramifications, I decided to make my own... IT WAS SOOOO WORTH IT!!!

Chocolate Cake:

Ingredients:

   Vegan spread, at room temperature, to grease

   250g vegan spread, melted

   2 1/2 cups low GI cane sugar

   2 tsp. vanilla essence

   4 eggs, at room temperature

   2 cups self-raising wheat free/ gluten free flour

   1 cup plain wheat free/ gluten free flour

   1 tsp. salt

   2 tsp. baking powder

   3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

   3 cup almond milk

   2 tbsp. white vinegar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Brush a round tall cake pan with melted spread. Line the base and side with non-stick baking paper.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the spread, sugar, vanilla, almond milk and vinegar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. In a separate bowl combine the flours’, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
   Make a well in the dry mix and slowly stir in half the ‘wet mix’. Using an electric beater beat the mix and slowly add the remainder of the ‘wet mix’.
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, at half way mark cover the pan in alfoil (this insures it doesn’t overcook on the top of the cake), or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
   Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and let fully cool in the pan. Best to leave it overnight (place a clean tea towel on top, in case you have any critters in your kitchen).

Next day, remove it from the pan and if you have to, slice the top off so that you have an even cake.

Splitting the cake into layers:
Use some kitchen string, or just normal string doubled over if you have none. Cut a piece long enough to round the circumference of the cake and then some. Looking very closely, place string around the circumference. Make sure there is enough for THREE layers. Pull both ends of the sting until it has cut through the layer cleanly. Repeat another time...Voila three layers!

Chocolate 'butter'cream:

   500g low GI cane icing sugar

   125g vegan spread

   90g dark soy free/ dairy free chocolate (at least 70%) melted and slightly cooled

   2 tbsp. almond milk, slightly warmed

Method:

1. Cream the spread and sugar in a stand mixer, when it starts getting dry add the chocolate and quickly mix until incorporated. Add milk in stages until you get a nice, thick but spreadable frosting.

Strawberry Filling:   

   1/4 cup frozen raspberries

   1/4 cup frozen blueberries

   1/2 cup frozen strawberries

   1/2 cup low GI cane sugar

   1/2 cup water

   1 tsp. vanilla

   Small pinch of salt

   1/4 tsp. lemon extract or a pinch of grated lemon zest

Method:

1. Pulse frozen berries in a blender. Throw everything into a saucepan or small pot. Heat on medium and cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes.

The consistency depends greatly on the strawberries that you are using, so keep in mind that the finished product should be quite thick, but not too thick to squeeze through a frosting bag. Too thick? Stir in some water. Too thin? cook for at least 2 more minutes- keep in mind that the consistency becomes thicker on cooling.

Allow the filling to cool before piping/ spreading.

Assembly:

1. Take the pan that you baked the cake in and fully line it in cling film.
2. Place the top 3rd of the sliced cake and place it upside down into the cake pan.
3. Spoon over half the ‘butter’cream and level it out. Pipe half the berry filling in even layer onto the middle of the ‘butter’cream, a few cm away from edge of the ‘butter’cream.
4. Place the middle slice of cake over top the ‘butter’cream, then add the other half of the ‘butter’cream and berry filling.
5. Now place the bottom slice of cake on top, or whatever slice has the smoothest top for you as this will be the top which you want as flat as possible. Wrap the excess cling film over the top; gently press down to get out any bubbles in the ‘butter’cream and berry filling. Add more cling film if necessary to fully cover the cake.
6. Place it in the fridge for about 1 1/2 hours.
7. When set, remove from the fridge and gently pull it out of the cake pan by the cling film.
8. You may notice some of the ‘butter’cream sticks out a bit more than the cake. If it does take a palette knife and smooth the ‘butter’cream all around so that it's nice and even.

Chocolate Ganache:

   200g dark soy free/ dairy free chocolate (at least 70%)

   170 ml coconut cream

   20g vegetable shortening (I used Copha)

Method:

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a large bowl.
2. In a small saucepan heat up the cream and shortening until it melts and it all just comes to the simmer. Quickly pour over the chocolate, leave it a few seconds then whisk it up until smooth and glossy.
3. Leave it out at room temperature, stirring now and again until it thickens up slightly. It will be too runny to pour over the cake right away, you want it pourable but thick enough that it will coat the cake nicely.

When it's ready, place the cake on a wire rack with some baking paper underneath to catch any drips. Now simply pour the ganache all over the top and using a palette knife push it over the sides and around the cake. When it is all covered check for any missing bits, or lumps and smooth it out. The ganache does start to set quite quickly, if it gets a bit too thick on the cake you can dip your finger in some warm water to smooth out any lumps or bumps.

Decorate the cake with some thawed frozen raspberries and some shaved chocolate!

This recipe is based off a few different recipes that I have found and blended them together, changing a few things here and there.

It is primarily based off some recipes on Maple Spice: Quadruple Layer Chocolate Cake and the Double Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake.

http://www.maplespice.com/2009/05/quadruple-layer-chocolate-cake.html
http://www.maplespice.com/2010/03/double-chocolate-mousse-layer-cake.html